


Universe's Only Hope

by darkesky



Series: Voltron (!!!) [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Episode: s01e01 The Rise of Voltron, Gen, Homesickness, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:48:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25679137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkesky/pseuds/darkesky
Summary: “And then,” Lance told the illusion of his little siblings, “we saved the universe.”The words hung in the air, carrying an unspoken weight. Coran’s words kept echoing in his ears. That panic that consumed him originally settled into something smoother, something defiant. He told them they’d be Defenders of the Universe, Paladins of Voltron, and he knew it meant a war brewed.The light flickered above his head, and he looked up right as a familiar voice crashed into him.(You didn’t save the universe yet.)---Post Rise of Voltron: Lance and Blue bond (again!)
Relationships: Lance & Blue Lion (Voltron)
Series: Voltron (!!!) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862047
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Universe's Only Hope

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a little late to the Voltron party, but also, I've been reading Voltron fanfic for AWHILE now. I've decided, as I watch each episode, I'll write something to go along with it. Whether it's in direct response to the episode or something Voltron-related it inspired, it's my current plan! (it'll also help keep me motivated!)
> 
> That said, I have a weird mix of canon and fandom knowledge from reading fanfic from watching the actual series, and while I know some of the major plot points, I don't know all of them! So, I guess we'll see what happens!

Nothing can be seen beyond the dim light above his head. Even the controls sat in darkness, waiting for something to spur them into action. His body, reduced to nothing more than a silhouette, could be anyone’s, and so, his voice dropped into something deeper than usual. He pretended to be someone older—maybe even himself in several years—and he pretended the darkness beyond the cockpit held different people.

“And then,” Lance told the illusion of his little siblings, “we saved the universe.”

The words hung in the air, carrying an unspoken weight. Coran’s words kept echoing in his ears. That panic that consumed him originally settled into something smoother, something defiant. He told them they’d be  _ Defenders of the Universe, Paladins of Voltron,  _ and he knew it meant a war brewed. 

And while Lance spent all that time at the Garrison, getting ready for war, he never anticipated he’d be thrown onto the battlefield… Let alone become someone important to the success of the military. As Iverson reminded him, again and again, he should have been a cargo pilot. If only Iverson could see him now… Then, he could rub his smug face in his newest victory. 

And then, Lance remembered Iverson seeing the Blue Lion meant war spread all the way to Earth.

The light flickered above his head, and he looked up right as a familiar voice crashed into him. 

_ (You didn’t save the universe yet.) _

“We will, though.” When he described Blue before, he got it wrong. She  _ did  _ talk with him. Somehow, those emotions washing into him like a wave returning to the shore became thoughts, became words. They merged together the second he bumped around in the dark cave searching for light. He couldn’t imagine ever giving her up now; he can’t believe he ever lived without her. She understood him in a way nobody else did. 

Not even the other Paladins felt this tugging to their lion. Princess Allura offered them a tour of the castle, and right as he thought about accepting, she roared in the back of his head. She could describe the castle to him later. They had  _ right now  _ to finish bonding together, and so, Lance feigned needing to use the bathroom and ignored the jeers starting up from Mullethead. He’d beat up that kid one day.

_ (We need the Red Lion.) _

“Do we?” He leaned farther back into the chair, letting his eyes flutter shut. Above him, the light clicked off, and the two of them fell into a familiar silence. Then, right as it began to swallow him whole, he started talking again. “I don’t actually hate Mullethead. He just makes me feel…”

_ (Small.) _

“Yeah.”

_ (Good thing we’re bigger than the Red Lion.) _

He chuckled, but his mind continued to drift away from him. For the past half hour now, he spoke out the newest adventure to the empty space. Blue filled in with reactions; she laughed and cheered and gasped right where she should. Either he became a better storyteller than he remembered, or Blue was the greatest audience ever. 

But no bathroom break lasted half an hour. Considering nobody came to find him, they must’ve forgotten about him. And yes, it stung Shiro,  _ his hero,  _ forgot about him, but it stung worse when he remembered Hunk and Pidge wandered with that group. He considered them his best friends… Maybe they were his best friends only because they were his  _ only  _ friends. 

_ (I came to find you. I found you.) _

“I found you first.” Still, she got a smile to curl on his face as he leaned forward to place both hands on her controls. If Blue wasn’t a giant robot lion, he’d cuddle with her on the ground, stroking her like that old alley cat who wandered near his home. He always wanted to bring her home, but his mama thought he’d get rabies or something. She’d be horrified to know what this stray cat brought him. 

_ (I’m not a stray!) _

“Don’t be like that, beautiful.” He ran his fingers over the buttons, feeling them out in the darkness, and she surprised him by pushing a new emotion at him. It rippled in the air, intoxicating, and he drank it in.  _ Joy, excitement, freedom.  _ As his whole body warmed with her purr, as it settled into his bones and wrapped around his heart, he tried to push back his own happiness at her. “But you are a stray. I found you in a  _ cave.” _

_ (You found me because I let you!) _

“Technically, if you want to play this game,  _ Keith  _ let me.” When she started laughing in his mind, he froze, trying to think through his mistakes. Then, he groaned and buried his face in his hands. “Mullethead. Mother-Quiznack. Beauty School Dropout. Not Keith.”

_ (You don’t hate him.) _

“I know, we’ve been over—”

_ (You like him.) _

“Nope, nope. I don’t hate him. I’m indifferent towards him.” Pushing away from the console, he crossed his arms with a huff, slamming back against the chair. The chair slid back the second he did so, ejecting him back into the main cabin of the lion, and as he gripped the arms to keep from being thrown, the laugh escaped his lips. 

_ (You can’t stay mad at me.) _

“It… You’re a rollercoaster. In every meaning of the word.” He pointed up at her, accusingly.

Curiosity danced across his skin. 

_ (Rollercoaster?) _

“Yeah, you know. Like the ones at D—You know what? Let’s try something.” Pulling his legs up into the chair, he hunkered down into what he assumed to be a meditative position. They just sat cross-legged and hummed, right? He never tried this before… “Stop laughing at me, Blue!”

_ (What are you doing?) _

“Meditating!” he said angrily. 

The anger faded into the open air soon after, and the memory danced. They never had enough money to go to Disneyland or Disneyworld—how could they? Staying at the beach constituted a vacation for his family, and they still needed to walk the whole way there and carry their pre-packed lunches. 

On the other hand, though, he remembered when his baby sister started crying because one of her friends went off to Disney. She wanted to ride one of those ridiculous rollercoasters, and so, he made one. He pinned up photos all around his house, and he decorated a cardboard box. Then, as he forced her to sit there, he pushed her all around the house as she shrieked and laughed and…

_ (Don’t cry, little one.) _

“I’m not crying,” he said, wiping away his tears.

_ (That seems like fun.) _

“It was…” He hummed, looking up at the ceiling in a vain attempt to keep more tears from spilling out. “Hey, Blue, do you… Do you know when we’ll be able to go home? I know there’s a whole universe to save, but…”

_ (I don’t.) _

There’s a silence.

Then…

_ (I liked your memory trick. Want to see one of mine?) _

“I’d love to.”

The purr changed around him, going from a rumble deep in his soul into something gentle… Like a music box. As the notes flooded around him, he recognized it as a forgotten melody his mama used to sing to him. She could cradle him close to her chest, and he’d fall asleep to the sound of her heartbeat. Tears pricked at his eyes again, but now, they flowed freely. 

_ (I’m not your home, but…) _

“My mama would love you, Blue.” He leant back, letting the melody loll him back to sleep like he was five years old. “You’re part of my family now. No taking-backsies.”

_ (I wouldn’t want to.) _

**Author's Note:**

> Full confession - the interaction with the lions is one of my favorite parts of the show, and I've barely watched the show.
> 
> (also, tell me if you want to see anything in between the episode additions!)


End file.
